The Greatest Discovery
by The Telepathic Hawk
Summary: Finn Hudson was nine the year he became Finn Hummel. He was twelve the year his brother, Kurt, was born. An AU series of mostly fluffy oneshots along the same lines as my fic "I'll Be There," about the brotherhood and love between Finn and Kurt Hummel.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** The Greatest Discovery

**Author: **The Telepathic Hawk

**Rating: **K for this chapter.

**Warnings: **None unless you count AU as a warning.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Glee nor the lyrics from Elton John and Bernie Taupin's "The Greatest Discovery." I make no profit off of this piece of imagination.

**Word Count: **~3,200

**Summary: **Finn Hudson was nine the year he became Finn Hummel. He was twelve the year his brother, Kurt, was born.

**Author's Note: **This is an AU series of oneshots along the same lines as my fic "I'll Be There." It focuses on the brotherhood and love between Finn and Kurt. There may be pairings later, but I'm not sure yet who they'll be. I haven't decided on all the songs that will be used yet, but the first one is Elton John and Bernie Taupin's "The Greatest Discovery." It's very sweet. If you've never heard it you should look it up.

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Finn Hudson was nine years old when he became Finn Hummel. He wasn't sure about Burt Hummel at first. He loved his mom and all, but she didn't seem to have the best judgment when it came to the guys she decided to date. Either they only really wanted her and took off as soon as she told them about him or they only wanted her for a little while and took off when someone they decided they liked more came along. Finn didn't really see why. His mom was pretty enough, as moms went. At least she didn't seem old and worn out like Noah's mom or kind of…fake like Quinn Fabray's mom, though he would ever tell either of them that he thought that about their moms. That was just something you didn't do. Moms were sacred or something. And if he was married to Noah's dad he would probably look old too. And Quinn's mom…well she just kind of scared him, but he figured that was okay. He didn't really hang out with Quinn anyway.

But, anyway, his mom was pretty and pretty much the best mom ever, so he didn't see why guys wouldn't stay around with her. He could only figure that it was him. He knew that he wasn't the smartest kid and he kind of tripped over stuff a lot and sometimes he broke the glasses and plates that his mom told him to be careful with, but overall he didn't think he was that bad a kid to be around. At nine he was just starting to get good at sports. The rules were hard to understand sometimes, but he thought that he was getting them down pretty well. And he was getting really, really good at the drums. But, when the most of the guys his mom dated came over they didn't really want to hear anything about Finn so he didn't really mention any of those things. He just tried to stay out of their way and let his mom and whatever guy she was with have their time together. He figured maybe if he was good enough and quiet enough that someday someone would stick with his mom long enough to want to get to know him, too. But, if some guy only every really liked his mom and ignored him all the time that was okay too. As long as his mom was happy. She deserved it.

Burt Hummel was different from any other guy his mom ever brought home. He didn't talk around Finn and he didn't smile at him like adults sometimes smiled at kids. That smile where they knew they were smarter than you and they wanted you to know it too. That smile that said that they didn't really want to be wasting time talking to you, but they were going to indulge you for just a minute because they wanted to 'get in the sack' with your mom. Finn wasn't quite sure what 'get in the sack' meant, but Noah said it all the time and Noah was probably the smartest person Finn knew. He was his best friend, after all. But, Burt…Burt didn't do any of that stuff like the other guys. When he smiled at Finn he actually smiled at him. And when he asked Finn about his day he actually listened to what Finn told him and asked questions that made sense and proved that he was paying attention. After Burt and his mom had been dating a while Burt took Finn to places even when his mom didn't come. In the summer they went fishing and to baseball games. In the fall they went to the high school football games and one memorable time to a Buckeyes game that they had to get up early in the morning before the sun even got up to get to. In the winter they all went skating and bowling a lot…almost like a real family. And in the spring…In the spring Burt took Finn out to dinner and sat across the booth from him, a serious look on his face.

"I have something real important I want to talk to you about, Finn," Burt had that serious look in his eyes. He got it every time he wanted to talk to Finn like a grown up. Finn always felt proud and happy when he did that, "I'm going to give it to you straight, kiddo. I love your mom and I want to ask her to marry me."

"Okay…" There was a hope blossoming in Finn's heart that he didn't want to think about. Because it had almost gotten to this point a couple of times before, and he had always been let down.

"I don't know if your mom told you, but I was married once before. My first wife, Connie, died when she was giving birth to our little girl. I wasn't really alive, for a long time, kiddo. I wanted my wife and my little girl back. Then something like a miracle happened. Your mom brought her car into my shop. And she was so beautiful to me…I just had to ask her to dinner. And then she introduced me to you and it all came together. I don't want to just be your mom's husband, Finn. I want to be your dad, too, if you'll let me."

"I…" Finn looked down at his chili cheese fries and tried to pretend that he wasn't crying, "Okay…"

"Okay?" Burt prompted. Finn looked up and was surprised to see that Burt had tears in his eyes, too.

"Yeah," Finn smiled and was relieved when Burt did the same, "I'd like that."

"Yeah? Me, too." Burt picked up his burger and took a big bite before he looked up at Finn again and grinned with his mouth full. Finn took a big bite of his cheese fries and grinned back.

When they were in the car, sitting outside of the house before he had to go in and get into his pajamas because he had to get up for school the next day Finn turned to Burt nervously and smiled again, "Burt?"

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"How soon before I can call you Dad?"

Burt took a moment to clear his throat before he looked at Finn with tears in his eyes, "How about you wait until I can ask your mom to marry me first?"

"So…you can come in and ask her now and I can call you Dad tomorrow?"

"You really want to call me Dad that much, buddy?"

Finn looked down because his face was burning and nodded, "I've never had a dad."

"Okay…" Burt reached over and opened the glove compartment. Finn's eyes followed the little black box he pulled out and he couldn't help his excitement as he ran up the stairs and tore into the house. His mom was in her cleaning sweats, but she still had her make-up on from work and Finn thought she looked beautiful. He ran straight into her arms, making her drop the dusting rag, and giggled as he jumped up and down.

"Woah, baby," Carole wrapped her arms around Finn and set her cheek to his hair, "Good dinner?"

"The best!" Finn pulled away slightly so that he could look up into his mom's tired, and happy (She always seemed so happy to see him.) eyes, "Burt wants to marry us, Mom! And he said that as soon as he asks you I can call him Dad! Can we move in together soon and be a real family? Please, Mom, please? Please say yes!"

"Burt…" Carole had straightened and was holding a hand to her mouth. Finn turned to see Burt in the open doorway fiddling with the little black box in his hands.

"Guess the cat's out of the bag, Care. So…uh…what do you say? You want to marry me? Want to be a family with me?"

Finn grinned up at his mom when she choked back a little cry. She'd told him a long time ago that not all tears were sad. And she was smiling. She was nodding her head and crying and smiling all at the same time. Burt laughed as he crossed the room and Finn didn't even cover his eyes when they kissed. He just grinned so hard he thought his cheeks would fall off when Burt put the ring on his mom's finger and then pulled her into another kiss. He felt like his heart would bust right out of his chest when she and Burt pulled him into the embrace and both of them kissed the top of his head.

His mom and dad married three months later at the city hall. It was only the three of them and the judge and lawyer his parents had hired to oversee his official adoption by Burt Hummel in the room. His mom wasn't in white like the pictures from her first wedding. She was in a pretty sky blue dress. She tried on about a million when they went to the mall but decided on the one that he liked the best. He thought it made her seem younger, and happier. She straightened her curly hair and put on her make-up carefully that morning while Finn watched. When they bought the dress she bought him a suit and he thought it made him look grown-up. It wasn't until they got to the city hall that he realized it matched Burt's. Then he couldn't stop smiling. The ceremony was short and by the end of everything he and his mom were both officially Hummels. They finished the day by moving all of their few belongings into their new house with Burt. Finn was getting the whole basement to himself.

For two years everything was pretty much perfect. His mom and his dad fought sometimes, but they made up. They always told him never to go to bed angry. They went to Disney World for Finn's tenth birthday and his dad was there for every baseball game and every football practice. His mom was happier than he had ever seen her in his life. He only told Noah once because he called him a wimp when he did, but one of the best things he had ever seen was the night he woke up for a glass of water and he found his parents slow dancing in the kitchen. Both of their eyes were closed and they were smiling, just happy to be together. When his dad opened his eyes and saw Finn he didn't stop dancing with his mom. Instead he just invited Finn in and the three of them swayed back and forth for a few minutes before his mom got his water and Finn went back to bed without a word. It was times like that that Finn knew they were a real, true family.

He only questioned it once. Not that they were a family. He never questioned that. He questioned his place in the family when, a few months after his eleventh birthday his parents told him that he was going to get the best present for his twelfth birthday. He was going to have a little brother or a little sister. He smiled and said everything they wanted to hear. How great it was. How he couldn't wait. But, inside he was terrified. He knew that his mom and dad loved him. But, they would probably love this new baby more. At least, his dad might. Finn was not his real son. The baby would be his in every way. He wouldn't really blame Burt if he wanted the new baby more than he loved Finn. But, it made him cry when he was alone in his bed that he had to force himself to stop thinking of Burt as Dad. When the new baby got there he probably wouldn't want Finn to call him Dad anymore anyway.

He spent months in a state of mild terror and depression before his dad noticed what was going on. He didn't even know that his dad had noticed anything at all until the not particularly special Wednesday when his dad woke him up before the sun came up. Finn was so sleepy he didn't even protest when his dad helped him get dressed. He fell asleep in the car and didn't wake up again until they stopped. A half hour later they were in a boat with fishing lines in the water and McDonald's breakfast sandwiches in their hands.

"Won't I get in trouble for missing school?" Finn asked, though he thought fishing with his dad was much better than sitting in a classroom and listening to a teacher drone on and on about things he didn't actually care about.

"Naw, kiddo," His dad reached over and tousled his hair, "I told your mom we were going fishing. She'll call it in. Figured we needed some time alone. You've been acting a little down for a while, Finn. Your mom and I are worried about you. Is there something you want to talk about? Something you want to tell me, kiddo? You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Finn looked down at the fishing pole in his hands and tried to swallow around the lump in his throat.

"It's about the baby, isn't it, kiddo?" Burt asked gently.

"No!" Finn's head snapped up so fast he hurt his neck. Shame burned in his face at seeing the understanding in his father's eyes and he looked back down at the pole as fast as he'd looked up. He was miserable when the shameful word escaped his lips without his consent, "Yes."

"Aw, Finn," Burt pulled him close to his side and kept his arms around Finn's shoulders even while Finn tensed up, "Buddy, I'm sorry I didn't see it before. I know it's got to be hard for you, buddy. But…Finn, you have to know…having this baby doesn't mean that anything is going to change between you and me or you and your mom. You're our son, our firstborn, and we will always love you."

"But, I'm not your son!" Finn choked on his sob, "I'm some other man's kid! When the baby is born you're going to realize that you'll always love him more!"

"Jesus, kid," Finn looked up to see his dad rubbing his face, distress written all over it, "There's no handbooks on how to deal with something like this, Finn. All I can say is that you are my son. In every single way that matters. Maybe I wasn't there when you were born and maybe I didn't see your steps or hear your first words, but you are mine. That first day your mom introduced you to me…God, Finn. You were nine years old and your mom told you not to get dirty, but you and Noah were having so much fun playing outside. And you came running up to me, the biggest grin and dirt all over your face, not shy at all. In that moment, Finn, right then, the first time I ever met you I became a dad. I love you, kiddo. Having this baby doesn't mean that I'm going to love you any less. It doesn't matter that I made this baby with your mom. It…"

Finn knew that his dad wasn't really one for words so the long speech had them both kind of shocked. He relaxed into his dad's arm. Somehow knowing they were both uncomfortable made it easier to bear his nerves. It seemed to make his dad more comfortable, too.

"You're my son, Finn. And the new baby is going to be my son, too. I'll always love you both. Love you both the same. So much sometimes that I don't think my heart can take it."

"Dad!" Finn couldn't even find it in himself to be embarrassed as he threw his arms around Burt's waist and buried his face in his chest. But, his dad only held him close and rocked a little. For about thirty seconds. Then they both realized that they were men and pulled apart with nervous laughter and smiles.

"I'm, uh, gonna need your help a lot with the new baby, Finn." Burt cleared his throat and looked back out at the water.

"You are?" Finn looked back down at his fishing pole.

"Yep. Being his big brother…that's probably just about the most important job in the world, Finn. My big brother taught me everything. How to throw a ball, how to catch one. How to talk to girls. He's going to need you more than anyone in the world."

Finn swallowed hard. Now that he knew his dad was always going to be his dad, it was kind of scary to think of someone else looking up to him for anything, "What if I'm not good enough?" He asked quietly. He looked up at his dad from the corner of his eye as he was handed a cold can of coke.

"Finn, when your brother is born, you've got one job. Well, one job, two parts."

"What's that?" Finn asked.

"You just have to love him. Love him and protect him and you'll always be good enough. I promise you that. Got it?"

"Got it." Finn grinned and popped open his can of soda.

"And you might have one more job before he comes," Burt looked down on him, "Your mom and I can't decide on a name for him. Think you can help us out?"

"Yeah," Finn took a deep pull of his coke, "I can do that."

Six weeks later Kurt McKenzie Hummel came into the world, squalling as if it had personally offended him. ("Kurt because it sounds like Burt and Carole put together and McKenzie because Dad told me it was his first wife's middle name. I figure, I have my dad's first name for my middle name and McKenzie can work for a boy, too. Is it okay?" His parents had both cried a little ant told him it was perfect.) Little Kurt Hummel did not stop crying until the moment he was set in his big brother's arms. Their parents looked on, amazed, as their twelve year-old, who hadn't even been sure he wanted a little brother until about a month before his birth, held his infant brother close and rocked him gently, whispering to him the entire time. Kurt, for his part, just looked up at his big brother as he spoke for a moment before promptly closing his eyes and falling asleep.

"It's okay if you want to sleep, Kurt," Finn whispered, rocking him still, "You were just born. That's hard work. I'm Finn. I'm your big brother and I only have one job. Two parts. So…I'm going to love you and protect you for the rest of your life. We have the best mom and dad in the world and I'm going to be the best brother. But, you don't have to worry about that. You're already the best brother. And you always will be."

He kissed Kurt's small forehead and grinned up at his parents, only to see them smiling at him and crying again.

"Don't worry," He whispered to the sleeping baby, "They'll probably do that a lot."

Finn thought he had probably never heard anything better than when his parents both began to laugh.

_In those silent happy seconds_

_That surround the sound of this event_

_A parent's smile is made in moments_

_They have made for you a friend_

_And all you ever learned from them_

_Until you grew much older_

_Did not compare with when they said_

_This is your brand new brother_

_This is your brand new brother_

_This is your brand new brother _


	2. Chapter 2

**All previous disclaimers apply. Also, I do not own the song L.O.V.E. No infringement is intended and no profit is made from the use of the lyrics.**

** Author's Note: Sorry this took so long to get up! It was so hard for some reason! I tried it four or five different ways with four or five different songs before it finally came together. I hope you like it. Please read and review if you have a moment! **

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The year Finn turned sixteen he realized two very important things that would affect him for the rest of his life in ways he never imagined at the time. The first was that he didn't care what other people thought of him anymore as long as he was having fun. Football had always been fun to him and so he had joined the team his freshman year just like his dad wanted. For two years he was on top of the world. He was the quarterback and was dating the head cheerleader. Every guy in the school wanted to be him. And he was miserable. The only time he was really having fun was when he was playing. Just being popular didn't make school any more enjoyable. Really it made it harder. He always had to watch what he said and who he decided to hang out with. Just admitting that he kind of thought the fashion shows that his mom and baby brother were always watching were kind of funny and entertaining had almost lost him Quinn.

She was another thing he was uncertain about. Should his girlfriend really make him feel as bad as Quinn was always making him feel? Shouldn't dating someone feel good? If he was dating someone should she be the person he was the most uncomfortable around? Should she be able to make him feel ashamed of everything he said and everything he thought? And she wouldn't even let him really kiss her. It wasn't like he'd ever force her to do anything that she wasn't ready for, but it would have been nice if he could actually kiss her for more than a second without her slapping her hands on his chest and pushing him away as if he was grinding on her.

It was really Mr. Schuester that turned everything around for him. Finn wasn't stupid. He knew that he hadn't had any marijuana in his locker like Mr. Schue was trying to accuse him of and even Noah, who he was supposed to call Puck now but could never remember, had stopped smoking as Kurt and his own little sister, Miri, got bigger. He used to screw up and hide stuff like that in Finn's locker. But, when Miri had cut herself trying to make a sandwich because Puck was too high to bother watching her he had turned everything around. He hadn't had a drop of alcohol or so much as a hit since that day so he knew Puck hadn't put it in his locker either. He hoped that Mr. Schue wouldn't have taken the blackmail any further if Finn had resisted the idea of joining the glee club, but as it was it gave him an excuse to do something he had wanted to do to begin with.

Glee club was fun. He wasn't the best dancer in the room and he knew he never would be, but he never felt bad about himself when he was singing his heart out. And the friends he made in glee club were really his friends. The first true friends, aside from Noah, he'd made in high school. He never had to be anyone other than who he was with them. Rachel was attracted to him, he could tell and he thought she was beautiful and he really wanted her, but he wouldn't do anything while he was dating Quinn and Rachel tried to be supportive and not push him to break up with his girlfriend. He appreciated her for that. Tina was quiet, but she had a wicked sense of humor that came out once you got to know her. Artie was the perfect gaming partner and never made Finn feel stupid even when he needed tutoring in some of his subjects. Lauren acted like she didn't actually want to be there, but there was no one else who practiced harder. Sam was awesome with a guitar and he helped Finn with his singing in return for Finn helping him learn how to kick so that he could try-out for the football team. It was the best trade Finn had ever made. Sam was a good singing coach and great at kicking a football. With him on the team they actually began to win. Finn didn't know much about Dave Karofsky. He was quiet and shy and managed to blend into the background really well for someone who was so big, but he treated the girls like they were all princesses and it became a club goal to get him to smile his shy smile as often as possible.

Just after Sam started helping the football team to win games Puck, Matt, and Mike decided that it might be fun to join the club, too. They thought maybe with five football players in the club, they might be more popular. They were wrong. Even when Quinn joined the club, for a reason no one quite knew, and brought two other cheerleaders with her, the club was the lowest of the low. They got more slushies thrown in their faces than anyone in the school and yet none of them left. They became a little bit like a family.

Finn loved performing. It was a rush like nothing he had ever known. He knew that his mom and dad were happy with it, too. They thought it made him more well-rounded. It would make him look better to colleges. And they simply liked watching him perform. Finn loved it when they would bring Kurt to one of his performances. There was nothing like looking out into the audience and seeing his little brother looking up at him like he was the best thing he had ever seen. Sometimes Kurt would be mouthing the words along with them, he spent so much time listening to Finn rehearsing. It was as good a feeling to win a glee competition as it was to win a football game.

Glee even better when Quinn finally told him quietly how much she liked Sam and how much she wanted to be with him. Finn told her that it was probably about as much as he wanted to be with Rachel. They parted friends. And there was nothing else he could have wanted. Puck surprised them all when he started following Lauren around like a puppy. She surprised them even more when she started to blush a little and smile under his attentions. Mike and Tina hit it off right away and were dating secretly for about a day before the rest of the glee club knew they were dating. It took them three months before they actually told everyone else. Somehow Brittany seemed to be in a relationship with both Artie and Santana, but no one questioned it because they both obviously adored her and sometimes even seemed to feel a good deal of affection for each other. Once he and Quinn parted ways he and Rachel were free to be together. They decided to start slow.

Finn loved dating Rachel. She was passionate and open and everything Quinn hadn't been. She admitted that she wasn't ready to have sex yet, but just knowing that she wanted it as much as Finn did someday and didn't mind when he got a little hot as long as he stopped was really great. She believed in him and listened when he told her what he wanted to do with his life. Sometimes she was a little much, but she never made him feel stupid and she dressed in really short skirts, so that was a bonus, too. She also introduced him to her dads. They were the first gay couple he'd ever met. And they were the ones who led him to the second realization that kind of changed his life.

His little brother, his little Kurtie, the coolest little dude ever and someone he always wanted to take care of, was gay. He wasn't sure exactly how he knew. Sure Kurt liked to play with Barbie dolls more than he liked to play with G.I. Joes and he didn't like to get dirty in any way, but those things didn't mean much. Somehow, just looking at Kurt sitting at the dinner table one day while their parents were out and Finn was babysitting, his little legs swinging back and forth as he colored, Finn knew. He leaned against the counter and just looked for a little bit. Just knowing that Kurt would grow up to want a boyfriend instead of a girlfriend, that Finn wouldn't really be able to ever talk girls with him and maybe not most sports either…did that change anything? He actually had to ask himself. So, his little brother was gay…did that mean he loved him any less? Kurt looked up from his coloring book for a second and grinned at Finn with that little gap-toothed grin that always made him feel warm and fuzzy and Finn had his answer.

Fuck, no, it didn't matter that his little brother was gay. He was still his little brother and Finn still loved him more than anything. He crossed the kitchen and ran his hand over Kurt's silky hair. Kurt giggled when Finn kissed the top of his head.

"You want to go get ice cream?" He asked.

"Before dinner?" Kurt asked, his little eyebrow going up just like their mom's.

"Sure, why not? Just this once."

As soon as Finn knew that how much he loved Kurt would never be changed by the fact that he was gay he began to notice a lot of things that he hadn't before. Like the fact that Dave never looked at any of the girls in the club. There were three cheerleaders in really short skirts in their club. Even if you had a girlfriend, like Finn, sometimes you couldn't help the fact that your eyes wandered when there was so much skin around all the time. But, Dave wasn't interested in any of the girls at all. His eyes never wandered unless they were to follow Matt while he danced. Somehow Finn knew that everything about Dave, how quiet and shy he was, how little he smiled and laughed, all tied back to this fact. Finn wanted Dave to be able to be comfortable with himself, but he also didn't want him to feel trapped or like Finn would ever hurt him. He wanted Dave to feel safe. But, he also didn't want Dave to have to hide from himself. In a way, Dave was Kurt. And his greatest hope was that his baby brother would have a friend who would do the same things for Kurt as Finn wanted to do for Dave. So he invited him over.

Dave's eyes were wide when he walked into the Hummel household and Finn wondered if he'd ever been invited to a friend's house at all. He was quiet and polite with Burt. Finn and his dad shared a glance when Dave flinched as Burt reached out to shake his hand. He gave Finn a look when Dave turned to take off his shoes. Over the past few years he and his dad had found a way to have silent conversations with their eyes. It drove his mom nuts. They had one then.

"Kid, you need help with anything?"

"Not yet, Dad. I'll let you know if we need you."

"You be careful with him, son. He's scared out of his mind."

"I will, Dad."

"I'll leave you to it then, kid. Love you, Finn."

"Love you, too, Dad."

"So…your dad…" Dave asked quietly as they got snacks, "You guys are pretty close?"

"Yeah. He adopted me when I was nine. He's the best. How about your dad?"

"My dad," Dave trailed off, "He…"

He didn't say anything more and Finn didn't press. They relaxed for a little bit, playing video games, before Finn brought up what he'd wanted to talk about all afternoon. He knew he wasn't the smartest guy and he probably could have found a better way to ask, but he couldn't help it when it just came out in between rounds of gaming.

"Dave, are you gay?"

Dave reacted like someone had reached out and punched him. His breath wooshed out and his body jerked away from Finn like lighting was running through him. Dave pulled his knees up to his chest and rocked a little, burying his face in them.

"Dude, it's okay!" Finn said quickly, worried that Dave would pass out if he didn't start breathing again as the seconds ticked by. He wanted to reach out and touch Dave, but he had a feeling it would be the wrong thing to do. "Dude! Seriously, calm down! I didn't ask to upset you. I just…" He heard the T.V. come on downstairs, the opening song familiar as Kurt had watched the movie a hundred times and always had the same habits when he watched it. Finn knew exactly how he would look right now and it was just what Dave needed to see to believe him. "Come with me."

He stood, but Dave didn't move. He didn't even look up from where he was rocking in his seat. Finn could hear him choking as if he couldn't breathe, "Seriously, Dave. You need to breathe. I'm going to put my hand on your shoulder. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want you to see someone." Dave shuddered when Finn touched him, but didn't react otherwise.

It took a couple more minutes of low talking and reassurances before Dave finally followed him, a silent mountain at his back as they made their way down the stairs and to the living room. They paused in the doorway and just watched. Kurt was flinging himself around the room in his princess dress and sneakers, singing along to his favorite Disney princess in a high, strong soprano. Their dad was sitting on the couch smiling at him like he was beautiful and perfect just the way he was. Which to their family, of course, he was.

"That's Kurt," Finn said quietly so they didn't disturb him, "That's my little brother. And we're pretty sure that he's gay. Mom and Dad and me…we believe that you're born that way. I didn't mean to scare you, Dave. It's just…I hope that someday Kurt will have a friend who wants to make sure he has someone to talk to. I just wanted to ask in case you didn't have anyone else you could talk to about it. If you're not it's okay. If you are I want you to know that I'll never tell anyone unless you tell me I can. So…"

He turned back to see Dave looking at Kurt with tears streaming down his face. As soon as he reached out, Dave crumbled in on himself and went to his knees, arms wrapped around his stomach as if he was trying to hold himself together. He took in great gasping breaths. Finn dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Dave, trying to lend him as much strength as he could.

"My dad's going to kill me!" Dave sobbed, burying his face in Finn's sweater, "He already hates me because of my mom! If I tell him this he's going to beat me to death! But, I didn't choose…I wouldn't…I can't…I can't be gay!"

"Dave, it's okay." Finn rocked him like he rocked Kurt when he had a nightmare, "It's okay, I promise! We'll think of something."

"Finny?" Kurt's voice was quiet as a dove.

"Yeah, Kurtie?" Finn turned to look at his brother, who had tears of sympathy in his big, round eyes.

"Your friend's sad?"

"He is, a little bit," Finn agreed.

"Can I hug him?"

Finn looked down at Dave and saw him looking up, hope in his eyes. Maybe Kurt was just what Dave needed. Finn looked back up at Kurt and nodded. Kurt tossed himself at Dave, who wrapped the tiny form up in his arms and rocked. Finn had often wondered, and wondered still as Kurt was in Dave's arms, if his little brother could read people's minds, or at least feel what they were feeling. He didn't struggle, he didn't squirm in Dave's embrace. All he did was pet Dave like he was used to petting their cat and shush him like their mom shushed him when he had a bad dream. Dave held him gently, but firmly, until he had cried himself out. It was only when Dave looked up, surprise written on his face, that Finn realized that they weren't alone. He turned his head to see his mom and dad looking down at them. His mom had tears running down her face. His dad wasn't crying, but he looked decidedly uncomfortable. And angry. Really angry. More angry than Finn had ever seen him.

"Dad…" Finn mumbled.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hummel…" Dave choked out at the same time, letting Kurt go as if holding him any longer would burn him. Kurt looked surprised and a little bit worried, but he just sat on the floor next to Dave and put his little hand on Dave's knee.

"What's your name, son?" Burt asked, his voice rough.

"David," Dave's voice was small, unusual sounding for someone so big and strong, "David Karofsky."

And something in his mom broke, "Oh, David!"

Finn watched, stunned, as his mom threw herself to the floor, wrapped herself around Dave's form, and kissed him on the forehead, all the while running her hands over him tenderly, as if checking for bruises and such. Dave winced when her hands hit four or five different places and Finn felt tears come into his own eyes.

"You're not going back there, David."

Finn could only nod in agreement as his mom took Dave's face in her hands and looked him in the eye.

"You're never going back to someone who hurts you. Burt and I are going to make sure of it. Do you understand? You're safe now. And you're always going to be safe with us."

Finn had never been more proud to be a Hummel than he was in the next few weeks. He's always known that he had the best parents in the world, but they really proved it as they helped Dave get out of his father's house. For a little bit it looked like he and Kurt were going to have another brother. But, then Dave's grandmother on his mother's side came forward. It turned out that she had been trying to get Dave out of his father's house for years, but Dave's father was too good an actor when social services came over and Dave had been too scared at the time to speak up. After a while, with the threat of his father gone and his biggest, darkest secret shared with the glee club, Dave began to smile and laugh just like a regular kid. He relaxed and finally seemed comfortable in his own skin. So comfortable, in fact, that when Junior Prom rolled around he asked Matt to go with him. Matt, blushing lightly, had nodded and whispered that he'd like that. Finn saw his first gay kiss that night when Matt and Dave were hugging each other close as they danced to a slow song surrounded by the glee club to hide them in a way so that no one would give them any trouble. When the only thing Finn could think was that they looked right together as their lips touched shyly he knew that he was right on track to help his little brother know that everything he was would always only be natural, beautiful, and right to his family, to his big brother. No matter what the rest of the world thought or said.

When he got home that night Kurt was still up. He'd been so excited to see Finn and all of his friends in their fancy clothes and so disappointed when their mom told him that he would have to wait until he was older to go to a dance of his own. Finn felt so bad, looking into Kurt's bright eyes, tears glistening in them that he wouldn't actually let fall. He'd almost suggested to Rachel, Mercedes, and the rest of the glee club that they stay behind and just dance to music in the Hummel living room. But, he hadn't. The rest of the club had been looking forward to the dance for weeks and they were supposed to be performing. And they were already doing him a favor by stopping by his house, at Kurt's request, so that he could see them. (It wasn't much of a hardship though. No one was able to resist Kurt's baby boy eyes and charms.) When he saw Dave and Matt his pretty eyes had gone wide and he'd hugged Dave extra hard. Finn still wasn't quite sure that Kurt understood what being gay meant, or realized that it was something he might be. All he knew was that Dave was smiling when he held Matt's hand and that was all that mattered to his young mind. He clung to their mom's leg and smiled valiantly around his trembling lower lip as they all trooped out with the promise that they'd take him for ice cream soon.

His consolation that night was that their dad promised him that he could wait up until Finn got home from the dance so that he could tell him everything. Rachel understood completely. She and Finn weren't putting pressure on themselves to sleep together on prom night like so many other couples their age did. They knew that they were ready to go to the next step in their relationship, but they weren't going to plan anything. When it was right it would happen. Not before then. They were both comfortable with it. Finn was surprised that Kurt had lasted so long. He was an energetic little boy, but he was also still a kid. He'd submitted to a nap for the first time in a year that afternoon. He seemed a little sleepy when Finn first came in, his eyes were barely open when he looked away from the movie playing on the screen from under their mom's arm, but jumped up, wide awake, as soon as he recognized his big brother.

"Finny! Finny! Finny!" He screamed as he launched himself across the room. Finn scooped him up on the fly and settled him onto his hip.

"Hey, little man!" Finn twirled him around, a little high on his good night and the fact that he and Rachel had crawled into the backseat of his Navigator for a little bit to make out in her driveway before he came home. Kurt's high giggle was probably one of his favorite sounds in the world.

"What did you sing? Did you dance a lot? What did it look like? Did you have a good time? Did you tell Lauren that I thought she looked prettier than Rachel but I didn't want to make Rachel mad when she came over? She can yell really loud, Finn. She sounds like a crow and makes my ears hurt!"

Finn couldn't help but laugh. He loved his girlfriend, but when Kurt was right he was right, "We sang lots of stuff, Kurtie Bear. And we danced tons. There were about a million balloons in red and white. We all had a great time. And I did tell Lauren. She told me to give you this." He put one hand on Kurt's hair and leaned closer to press a soft kiss to Kurt's forehead. Kurt sighed, his energy almost depleted. Seemed he only had enough to keep him going just until Finn got home. Finn smiled and shifted Kurt a little so that his small legs were wrapped around his waist, his arms around his neck, and his little head nestled just underneath his chin. Kurt sighed again in content.

"Sing me one of the songs you sang tonight, Finny?" Kurt requested sleepily.

"Yeah, buddy, sure."

He began to sing quietly and the song took on new meaning for him. He'd always thought that is was a love song between a man and a woman and it was, but it also described just how he felt about his little brother. He closed his eyes and swayed slowly as he continued, feeling Kurt fall asleep in his arms. When he opened his eyes both of his parents were looking at him with wide smiles on their faces. His mom had tears in her eyes.

"You want me to put him to bed, kid?" Burt asked, and his voice was a lot rougher than it normally was. Finn, being a teenager and male, was a little embarrassed on behalf of his father for getting emotional over a song that Finn had sung to his little brother. He shrugged a little, then aborted the movement half way through when Kurt moaned from the back of his throat and moved a little restlessly.

"Naw, Dad. I got it. I'll put him to bed and then hit it myself. I'm pretty bushed."

"Alright, sweetheart," Carole smiled, "Sleep tight. Glad you had a good time. Love you."

"Love you, too, guys. Night."

"Pancakes in the morning." Burt called, "Mom's going into work early. It'll be a boy's day."

"Sounds great, Dad."

Kurt didn't wake up as Finn put him in his bed, pulled his blankets up, and tucked his classic Pooh Bear under his arm.

"Love you, Kurtie," He whispered.

"Finn?" Kurt's voice was light and Finn wasn't sure that he was even really awake.

"Yeah?"

"Sing it again?"

Finn smiled, pushed Kurt's hair back from his closed eyes, "Sure, Kurtie. Anything for you." He laid next to Kurt on the bed, let his little brother snuggle close to him, and sang.

_L is for the way you look at me_

_O is for the only one I see_

_V is very, very extraordinary_

_E is even more than anyone that you adore can_

_Love is all that I can give to you_

_Love is more than just a game for two_

_Two in love can make it_

_Take my heart and please don't break it_

_Love was made for me and you_


End file.
